If patience counted for points in mixed martial arts, Pearl City's Mark Oshiro might be a world champion by now.

Oshiro has spent the last two years proving himself — over and over — as a title-worthy contender in the Icon Sport organization.

He'll have to do it again tomorrow, when he faces California's Bao Quach for the vacant North American bantamweight (140 pounds) championship.

It will be a semi-main event on the Icon Sport: Hard Times card at the Blaisdell Center Arena.

"The titles don't mean that much to me," Oshiro said. "The achievement comes in winning the fight. If a title comes with it, great. If not, I'm OK."

Oshiro is considered one of Hawai'i's rising stars in the sport of MMA. He has a professional record of 13-1. He has won his last seven bouts — all in the first round.

His only fault is his size. The bantamweight division is hardly recognized in the larger organizations (the UFC does not even have that division).

Perhaps because of that, Oshiro has had to wait for the Icon Sport organization to find competition for him in a championship bout. They finally found one in Quach.

"This is a step up for me," Oshiro said. "This guy (Quach) has been all over the world to fight some of the best fighters, so it'll be an honor to fight on this level."

Tomorrow's North American title fight will likely take the winner a step away from a world title fight.

Quach is 15-8-1, and has won his last eight fights.

"I know (Oshiro) has a good Hawaiian punch," Quach said. "He has a lot of power and he's well-rounded. But my style is similar. It's hard to say what's going to happen because we both have good all-around games."

For Oshiro, it'll be another chance to partake in a sport that he considers a second job. He works full-time for a construction company, and will soon enter an apprentice school to become an electrical worker.

"I work every single day," he said. "So I train when ever I can — at night, on the weekends. It's something I love to do, so I don't mind."

Oshiro trains at the Bulls Pen gym in Kalihi, and said "about 150" of his friends and family members are expected to be in attendance tomorrow.

"It's his hometown, but I can't let that affect me," Quach said.

Wai'anae's Kala Kolohe Hose will face Alaska's Rolando Dominique in the main event of the card.

In another feature bout, New York's Phil Baroni will face Waipahu's Ron Verdadero. It will be Baroni's first appearance in Hawai'i since he lost a middleweight world championship bout to Hose in March.

"I learned the hard way that Hawaiian guys are tough," Baroni said. "They got coconut heads and they don't give up."

SATURDAY'S BOUTS

185 pounds: Kala Kolohe Hose vs. Rolando Dominique. 140 (North American championship): Mark Oshiro vs. Bao Quach. 175: Phil Baroni vs. Ron Verdadero. 160: Sidney Silva vs. Hideto Kondo. 185: Mario Miranda vs. Jose Diaz. 160: Dean Lista vs. Eddie Rincon. 140: Sadhu Bott vs. Kurrent Cockett. 205: Richard Desforge vs. Maui Wolfgram. 150: Ricky Hoku Wallace vs. Ed Newalu. 170: Brewski Louis vs. Kyle Miyahana. 140: Ola Silva vs. Ian Dela Cuesta. 185: Devin Kauwe vs. Brad Tavares. 140: Alan Lima vs. Mark Tajon.